R-E-S-P-E-C-T - Aretha Franklin demanded it and everybody appreciates a sincere dollop of it.
Comments by Waiariki's Kevin Uncles about the role of mutual respect in the teaching/learning relationship in this week's High Achiever profile are particularly fitting given our page 11 story on leadership.
As a business journalist, I have
had the privilege of meeting some pretty powerful and influential people, here in New Zealand and overseas.
What always strikes me about these figures is their ability to afford a lowly reporter the same respect they would give a peer.
These are people who can afford to look down their noses and sneer with impatience if they feel somebody or something is a waste of their undoubtedly valuable time.
But they don't.
Instead they show an interest in who the other person is, what they do and what they need from this particular interaction.
They are patient when asked to explain something that is rudimentary for them, but unfamiliar to their interviewer.
They usually end the conversation by handing over a business card with direct dial numbers and their own email addresses saying: "If you need anything else, just let me know."
These are people who know how to communicate with others and how to lead.
Because they listen when other people talk, other people listen when they talk.
Because they relate to people at all levels with respect, they earn respect in return.
They are not some high and mighty corporate figure staff never see and don't care about, they are a human being with a human face and somebody staff want to serve well.
These people are still tough, making and executing decisions that can be difficult for everyone concerned.
While staff and detractors do not always agree with these decisions, they appreciate being kept informed, respect decisiveness and take heart when management acknowledges the resulting challenges.
Respect for others is a key component for the most successful leaders.
It's the old carrot versus stick argument.
Whether in the workplace or the classroom, respecting the people you lead will be more effective in motivating and inspiring them than fear and this will result in greater productivity and achievement at all levels.
- Julie Taylor is the business editor of The Daily Post
